Words of the Preacher Regarding Vanity
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all [is] vanity."
3 What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?
4 [One] generation passes away, and [another] generation comes; But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south, And turns around to the north; The wind whirls about continually, And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea [is] not full; To the place from which the rivers come, There they return again.
8 All things [are] full of labor; Man cannot express [it.] The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 That which has been [is] what will be, That which [is] done is what will be done, And [there is] nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said, "See, this [is] new"? It has already been in ancient times before us.
11 [There is] no remembrance of former [things,] Nor will there be any remembrance of [things] that are to come By [those] who will come after.
Vanity of Striving After Wisdom
12 I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.
14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all [is] vanity and grasping for the wind.
15 [What is] crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered.
16 I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge."
17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
18 For in much wisdom [is] much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.